Armed Citizen: Retired U.S. Customs Agents Fights off Home Intruder

Retired U.S. Customs agent Thomas Schenk returned to his home in Amboy, Wash. to find it ransacked. Schenk, a Right-to-Carry permit holder, drew a gun, searched the house, and found a man in his living room. The intruder spotted the Schenk, fled to a bedroom and pointed a gun at the former agent. A shootout ensued that eventually moved outside the home and prompted the criminal to flee. Police captured the thief several days later.

Following the incident, Schenk told a local media outlet, “I spent 25 years as a federal agent and had occasionally drawn my weapon under various circumstances, but never had to fire it… To have to fire in my own home, it was just hard to fathom.” Schenk added, “We all get lulled into a false sense of security and if nothing happens, that’s great… But in the event something does occur, nowadays you can’t trust that everything is going to be all right. I’m thankful I was able to refer to my training and keep a clear head.” (The Oregonian, Portland, Ore. 01/05/15)

See more stories of how responsible owners have used their firearms to protect themselves at NRA-ILA Armed Citizen.